Loving & Letting Go Agenda - PowerPoint Presentation

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Loving & Letting Go

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Agenda

Introductions

Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress

Children’s Grief

Break

Resource Parent’s Grief

Letting Go

Managing Grief/Fatigue

Closure

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Objectives

Develop an understanding of the signs of and differences in compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress.

Discuss stages of grief

Gain a deeper understanding of grief and loss as it relates to our relationships with children.

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Objectives

Develop understanding of benefits in allowing ourselves and others to grieve.

Improve knowledge about how to manage stress and grief, especially as it relates to letting go.

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Questionnaire

Compassion Fatigue Questionnaire

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Compassion Fatigue, Burnout and Secondary Stress

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Compassion

Fatigue

Physical, emotional, & spiritual exhaustion

Decreased ability to experience joy

Decreased ability to feel for and care for others

Burnout

Physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion

Increased cynicism

Secondary Traumatic Stress

The stress resulting from helping a traumatized or suffering person.

Symptoms similar to PTSD

Comparison

of Terms

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Warning Signs

Abusing drugs, alcohol or food

Anger, increased irritability

Blaming

Chronic lateness

Depression

Diminished sense of personal accomplishment

Frequent headaches

High self-expectations

Hopelessness

Hypertension

Low self-esteem

Sleep disturbances

Becoming a Workaholic

Less ability to feel joy

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Brainstorming Activity

“Types of Losses”

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Stages of Grief

Denial/Shock

– initial reaction, may feel numb

Anger

– common, feeling resentful

Bargaining/Guilt

– Why? Why not? I wish…

Depression/Sadness

– most common feeling, intense

Acceptance/Resignation

– sense of balance

Kubler-Ross

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Activity: Children and Grief

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Children and Grief

How well children cope with grief is most heavily influenced by the care-giving parent’s response to them.

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How have you helped children leave your home successfully?

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Resource Parents’ Grief

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Article

“Challenges of Foster Care: Grief and Loss”

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Resource Parent’s Grief

To help children through their grief more effectively, resource parents need to recognize and manage their own grief.

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Activity

Stages of Grief for Foster Parents

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Letting Go

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Tasks

Accept the reality of the loss

Experience the pain of grief

Adjust to an environment in

which the person is missing

Re-direct emotional energy into other relationships

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Activity: Stress Busters

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Managing my Grief/Fatigue

Be sure to exercise and eat properly

Get enough sleep

Find ways to maintain connectedness

Lifebook (for yourself)

Find someone to talk to

Recognize that letting go frees you to help another

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Managing my Grief/Fatigue

Identify what’s important to you

Develop a plan for self-care

Recognize that acting on your plan is absolutely necessary to be healthy

If nothing changes over a period of time, you may need to consider seeking professional help.

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Summary

Compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress affect people who take care of or work with those who have experienced trauma. It is important to recognize the signs and take care of ourselves.

When we recognize the signs of grief, we are better able to help ourselves as well as our children.

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Summary continued

When we effectively manage our own grief, we will be better able to help our children through their grief process.

Everyone grieves in his/her own way. There is not a correct way to grieve and it is important to allow one another to grieve in the way that works best for him/her.

Make a plan for self-care!

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True love doesn't have a happy ending, because true love never ends. Letting go is one way of saying I love you.

-- Author Unknown